Lightning-arrester.



W. J. HEINRITZ.

LIGHTNING ARRESTER.

APPLICATiQN FiLED JUNE 13, 1916.

PatentedSc-pt. 5, 1916.

INYENTOR ATTORNEYS WALTER JOHN HEIN'RITZ, 0F NORRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

L'IGHTNING-ARRESTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

Application filed June 13, 1916. Serial No. 103,379.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WVALTER JOHN HEIN- Rrrz,a citizen of the United States, residing at Norristown, county ofMontgomery, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulLightning-Arrester, of which the following is a specification.

In my prior Patent No. 1,179,722, granted to me on the 18th day of April1916, I have described and broadly claimed a novel lightning arrester ofthe horn gap type in which a plurality of horns are employed, one ofsuch horns being movably supported and provided with an armaturearranged in proximity to a magnet and its adjuncts so that electriccurrent flowing to the ground is utilized to energize the magnet andthereby actuate the armature and attached horn so as to increase the airgap which the lightning has originally overcome until such increase issufiicient to interrupt the flow of the current. In this prior patent incase of a heavy discharge of lightning another air gap is providedbetween a part of the magnet winding and the earth so that the fullnumber of solenoid turns will. be affected only in case of a smalldischarge of lightning while under a severe discharge part of the turnswill be in circuit.

My present invention while embodying in combination some of the featuresof my prior patent relates more particularlyto a device in which aplurality of solenoids are employed.

Vith the above in view my invention consists of a novel construction ofa lightning arrester in which a plurality of separate and independentsolenoids are employed one of which is cut out when a severe dischargeof lightning is received.

Other novel features of construction and advantage will hereinafter moreclearly appear in the detailed description of my invention.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have shown in theaccompanying drawing a typical embodiment thereof which will give inpractice satisfactory and reliable results but it is of course to beunderstood that the various instrumentalities of which my inventionconsists can be variously arranged and organized and that my inventionis not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of theseinstrumentalities as herein shown and described.

Figure 1 represents diagrammatically a side elevation of a lightningarrester embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a modifiedconstruction in which a coil spring is employed instead of the flatspring seen in Fig. 1.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in thefigures.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the line or electrical conductorthrough which the lightning passes to the holder 1 which is providedwith an opening 31 therein, through which the leg 32 of the horn 2passes, said leg being secured in the desired adjusted position by meansof the set screws or other fastening device. The lightning beingconveyed to the metal horn 2 jumps across the narrow air gap to the horn3, the

upper portions of each of said horns diverging while the lower portion3a of the horn 3 stands substantially upright and abuts against the pinor abutment el, said lower portion 31 being supported upon thepreferably flat metal spring 7, which is secured to the holder 5.

The holder 5 is connected by a line 16 with the solenoid windings 8 andis connected by a line 17 with the solenoid windings 9. The lightningwill. pass down the member 34 and spring 7 to the holder 5 thencethrough the line 17 to the solenoid windings 9 and the electric currentwill then pass to the ground E through the conductor or line F. As thecurrent passes through the solenoid or solenoids 10 it will be apparentthat a magnetic field is produced which will energize the magnet 41. anddraw the armature 6 which is attached to the upright member 34 of thehorn 3 away from the horn 2 until the parts assume approximately theposition seen in dotted line in Fig. 1. The pin 18 limits the right-handmovement of the horn 3 while the pin 1 limits its left-hand movement anddefinitely fixes the spacing between the horns. When the horn 3 and itsadjuncts are in the position shown dotted in Fig. 1 it will be apparentthat the air gap between the horns 2 and 3 has been considerablyincreased thus offering an increased resistance due to the increased airgap introduced into the circuit thereby causing the arc to breakimmediately or after traveling upward on the divergent horns 2 and 3.The extreme right hand position as shown dotted which the horn 3 mayassume will depend on the amount of current flowing in the solenoid 10.If a great excess or unusual discharge of lightning occurs, electriccurrent will cause a potential across the winding 8 of the solenoidsufficient to overcome the resistance of the air or spark gap betweenthe adj ustable members 13 and let which are supported in the holders 12and 15, respectively, and locked in position by means of fasteningdevices and 36, respectively. Since the holder 12 is electricallyconnected with the solenoid coil 8 through the conductor C and since theholder 15 is electrically connected to the earth through the conductor Danother path is offered under certain conditions through such conductorD to the earth 'IE, it being apparent that as the current is flowingthrough the turn or turns of the windings 8 the solenoid will attractthe armature 6 by the magnetic force separating the horns 2 and 3 ashereinbefore stated.

The air gap is adjustable by sliding the leg 3:2 of the horn 2 in thedesired direction in the holder 1 and thereafter locking said leg inposition by means of the fastening device 33.

Under ordinary electric discharge the current flows through the line 17and wind ings 9 to the earth. Under abnormal electric discharge thelightning passes through line 16 to windings 8 across the gap formedbetween the members 13 and let and thence by line D to the ground. Itwill be seen that in accordance with my present invention I have ineffect a plurality of separate and independent solenoids having a commoncore or magnet. Ihe windings 9 of the one solenoid preferably have agreater number of turns than the windings 8 of the other solenoid.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel and usefulconstruction of a lightning arrester, which embodies the features ofadvantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention andthe above description, and while I have, in the present instance, shownand described a preferred embodiment thereof which will give in practicesatisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that the sameis susceptible of modification in various particulars without departingfrom the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of itsadvantages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:-

1. In a lightning arrester, a fixed horn, a movable horn, a support forsaid movable horn, an armature attached to the movable horn, a magnet, asolenoid for said magnet having a plurality of separate windings each ofwhich is connected with said support, a ground connection for one ofsaid windings, and a ground connection for the other of said windingsand including a spark gap.

2. In a lightning arrester, a fixed horn, a movable horn, a support forsaid movable horn, an armature attached to the movable horn, a magnet, asolenoid for said magnet having a plurality of separate windings each ofwhich is connected with said support, a ground connection for one ofsaid windings, a ground connection for the other of said windings andincluding a spark gap,

and means to vary the length of said spark gap.

3. In a lightning arrester, a plurality of horns, one of said hornsbeing mounted on a fixed support, the other of said horns being movablysupported, an armature attached to the last mentioned horn, a magnetcoacting with said armature, a solenoid for said magnet having aplurality of separate and independent windings, each of which controlssaid magnet, connections from each of said windings to the support forsaid last named born, a ground connection for one of said windingsincluding a spark gap, and a ground connection for the other of saidwindings.

In a lightning arrester, a fixed horn, a movable horn, a support forsaid movable horn, a solenoid having a plurality of separate windingseach of which is connected to said support, an armature on said movablehorn, a magnet for said armature and said solenoid, a ground connectionfor one of said windings, a ground connection for the other of saidwindings and including a spark gap, and means to adjust the position ofthe fixed horn with respect to the movable horn.

5. In a lightning arrester, a plurality of horns, one of said hornsbeing mounted on a fixed support, the other of said horns be: ingmovably supported, an armature attached to the last mentioned horn, amagnet coacting with said armature, a solenoid for said magnet having aplurality of separate and independent windings, each of which controlssaid magnet, connections from each of said windings to the support forsaid last named horn, a ground connection for one of said windingsincluding a spark gap, a ground connection for the other of saidwindings, and means to limit the extent of movement of the movable horn.1

6. In a lightning arrester, a fixed horn, a movable horn, a support forsaid movable horn, an armature attached to the movable horn, a magnetfor said armature, a solenoid for said magnet having a plurality ofhaving the lesser number of turns and inseparate windings, each of whichis coneluding a spark gap.

nected with said support and one of which is provided with a greaternumber of turns WALTER JOHN HEINRITZ than the other, a ground connectionfor the Witnesses:

winding having a greater number of turns, H. S. FAIRBANKS, and a groundconnection for the winding C. D. MCVAY.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

